Krown family of Hammond, Ind., wrote letter describing their recent hard times.

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A Northwest Indiana family got a big surprise from Ellen DeGeneres this week. They ended up as guests on the show without even knowing it.

A Northwest Indiana family got a big surprise from Ellen DeGeneres this week. They ended up as guests on the show without even knowing it and walked away with prizes.

The good fortune for the Krown family, from Hammond, Ind., came after they wrote a letter to the Ellen show describing their recent hard times.

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In the letter, Ryan Krown explained that he'd lost his job and that his unemployment benefits had since run out.

The couple married young and they're struggling to raise two kids, Krown said in the letter. He said he has not been able to find work while his wife is going to school and working. To make matters worse, both their cars are about to break down and their home is in foreclosure, he wrote.

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Ellen invited the family to tape a piece for the website, but little did they know they would get a big surprise.

While taking a backstage tour of the set, the doors opened to reveal Ellen and a studio audience.

Ellen invited them to sit down as guests on her show. She said she was so touched by their story that she wanted to help them out financially.